Chapter 120 - MN Laws (2024)

(a) $500,000 each year from the general fund and $500,000 each year from the workforce development fund are for rural career counseling coordinators in the workforce service areas and for the purposes specified under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.667.

(b) $25,000,000 each year is for the targeted population workforce grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.43. The department may use up to five percent of this appropriation for administration, monitoring, and oversight of the program. Of this amount:

(1) $18,500,000 each year is for job and entrepreneurial skills training grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.43, subdivision 2;

(2) $1,500,000 each year is for diversity and inclusion training for small employers under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.43, subdivision 3; and

(3) $5,000,000 each year is for capacity building grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.43, subdivision 4.

The base for this appropriation is $1,275,000 in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.

(c) $750,000 each year is for the women and high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional jobs grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.99. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program.

(d) $10,000,000 each year is for the Drive for Five Initiative to conduct outreach and provide job skills training, career counseling, case management, and supportive services for careers in (1) technology, (2) labor, (3) the caring professions, (4) manufacturing, and (5) educational and professional services. This is a onetime appropriation.

(e) Of the amounts appropriated in paragraph (d), the commissioner must make $7,000,000 each year available through a competitive request for proposal process. The grant awards must be used to provide education and training in the five industries identified in paragraph (d). Education and training may include:

(1) student tutoring and testing support services;

(2) training and employment placement in high wage and high growth employment;

(3) assistance in obtaining industry-specific certifications;

(4) remedial training leading to enrollment in employment training programs or services;

(5) real-time work experience;

(6) career and educational counseling;

(7) work experience and internships; and

(8) supportive services.

(f) Of the amount appropriated in paragraph (d), $2,000,000 each year must be awarded through competitive grants made to trade associations or chambers of commerce for job placement services. Grant awards must be used to encourage workforce training efforts to ensure that efforts are aligned with employer demands and that graduates are connected with employers that are currently hiring. Trade associations or chambers must partner with employers with current or anticipated employment opportunities and nonprofit workforce training partners participating in this program. The trade associations or chambers must work closely with the industry sector training providers in the five industries identified in paragraph (d). Grant awards may be used for:

(1) employer engagement strategies to align employment opportunities for individuals exiting workforce development training programs. These strategies may include business recruitment, job opening development, employee recruitment, and job matching. Trade associations must utilize the state's labor exchange system;

(2) diversity, inclusion, and retention training of their members to increase the business' understanding of welcoming and retaining a diverse workforce; and

(3) industry-specific training.

(g) Of the amount appropriated in paragraph (d), $1,000,000 each year is to hire, train, and deploy business services representatives in local workforce development areas throughout the state. Business services representatives must work with an assigned local workforce development area to address the hiring needs of Minnesota's businesses by connecting job seekers and program participants in the CareerForce system. Business services representatives serve in the classified service of the state and operate as part of the agency's Employment and Training Office. The commissioner shall develop and implement training materials and reporting and evaluation procedures for the activities of the business services representatives. The business services representatives must:

(1) serve as the primary contact for businesses in that area;

(2) actively engage employers by assisting with matching employers to job seekers by referring candidates, convening job fairs, and assisting with job announcements; and

(3) work with the local area board and its partners to identify candidates for openings in small and midsize companies in the local area.

(h) $2,546,000 each year from the general fund and $4,604,000 each year from the workforce development fund are for the pathways to prosperity competitive grant program. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program.

(i) $500,000 each year is from the workforce development fund for current Minnesota affiliates of OIC of America, Inc. This appropriation shall be divided equally among the eligible centers.

(j) $1,000,000 each year is for competitive grants to organizations providing services to relieve economic disparities in the Southeast Asian community through workforce recruitment, development, job creation, assistance of smaller organizations to increase capacity, and outreach. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program.

(k) $1,000,000 each year is for a competitive grant program to provide grants to organizations that provide support services for individuals, such as job training, employment preparation, internships, job assistance to parents, financial literacy, academic and behavioral interventions for low-performing students, and youth intervention. Grants made under this section must focus on low-income communities, young adults from families with a history of intergenerational poverty, and communities of color. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program.

(l) $750,000 each year from the general fund and $6,698,000 each year from the workforce development fund are for the youth-at-work competitive grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.562. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the youth workforce development competitive grant program. All grant awards shall be for two consecutive years. Grants shall be awarded in the first year. The base for this appropriation is $750,000 from the general fund and $3,348,000 from the workforce development fund beginning in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.

(m) $1,093,000 each year is from the general fund and $1,000,000 each year is from the workforce development fund for the youthbuild program under Minnesota Statutes, sections 116L.361 to 116L.366. The base for this appropriation is $1,000,000 from the workforce development fund in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.

(n) $4,511,000 each year from the general fund and $4,050,000 each year from the workforce development fund are for the Minnesota youth program under Minnesota Statutes, sections 116L.56 and 116L.561. The base for this appropriation is $0 from the general fund and $4,050,000 from the workforce development fund in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.

(o) $750,000 each year is for the Office of New Americans under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.4231.

(p) $1,000,000 each year from the workforce development fund is for a grant to the Minnesota Technology Association to support the SciTech internship program, a program that supports science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) internship opportunities for two- and four-year college students and graduate students in their fields of study. The internship opportunities must match students with paid internships within STEM disciplines at small, for-profit companies located in Minnesota having fewer than 250 employees worldwide. At least 325 students must be matched each year. No more than 15 percent of the hires may be graduate students. Selected hiring companies shall receive from the grant 50 percent of the wages paid to the intern, capped at $3,000 per intern. The program must work toward increasing the participation among women or other underserved populations. This is a onetime appropriation.

(q) $750,000 each year is for grants to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's Teen Teamworks youth employment and training programs. This is a onetime appropriation and available until June 30, 2027. Any unencumbered balance remaining at the end of the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

(r) $900,000 each year is for a grant to Avivo to provide low-income individuals with career education and job skills training that is fully integrated with chemical and mental health services. Of this amount, up to $250,000 each year is for a grant to Avivo to provide resources and support services to survivors of sex trafficking and domestic abuse in the greater St. Cloud area as they search for employment. Program resources include but are not limited to costs for day care, transportation, housing, legal advice, procuring documents required for employment, interview clothing, technology, and Internet access. The program shall also include public outreach and corporate training components to communicate to the public and potential employers about the specific struggles faced by survivors as they re-enter the workforce. This is a onetime appropriation.

(s) $1,000,000 each year is for the getting to work grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.545. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program. This is a onetime appropriation.

(t) $400,000 each year is for a grant to the nonprofit 30,000 Feet to fund youth apprenticeship jobs, wraparound services, after-school programming, and summer learning loss prevention efforts targeted at African American youth. This is a onetime appropriation.

(u) $463,000 the first year is for a grant to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota. This is a onetime appropriation. Of this amount:

(1) $313,000 is to fund one year of free full-service programming for a new program in Waite Park that will employ part-time youth development staff and provide community volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. Career exploration and life skills programming will be a significant dimension of programming at this new site; and

(2) $150,000 is for planning and design for a new multiuse facility for the Boys and Girls Club of Waite Park and other community partners, including the Waite Park Police Department and the Whitney Senior Center.

(v) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to the Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs to administer a statewide project of youth job skills and career development. This project, which may have career guidance components including health and life skills, must be designed to encourage, train, and assist youth in early access to education and job-seeking skills, work-based learning experience, including career pathways in STEM learning, career exploration and matching, and first job placement through local community partnerships and on-site job opportunities. This grant requires a 25 percent match from nonstate resources. This is a onetime appropriation.

(w) $1,000,000 the first year is for a grant to the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the Learn and Earn Initiative to help the Owatonna and Steele County region grow and retain a talented workforce. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2025. Of this amount:

(1) $900,000 is to develop an advanced manufacturing career pathway program for youth and adult learners with shared learning spaces, state-of-the-art equipment, and instructional support to grow and retain talent in Owatonna; and

(2) $100,000 is to create the Owatonna Opportunity scholarship model for the Learn and Earn Initiative for students and employers.

(x) $250,000 each year from the workforce development fund is for a grant to the White Bear Center for the Arts for establishing a paid internship program for high school students to learn professional development skills through an arts perspective. This is a onetime appropriation.

(y) $250,000 each year is for the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.96. The commissioner, through the adult career pathways program, shall distribute the money to existing nonprofit and state displaced homemaker programs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(z) $600,000 each year is for a grant to East Side Neighborhood Services. This is a onetime appropriation of which:

(1) $300,000 each year is for the senior community service employment program, which provides work readiness training to low-income adults ages 55 and older to provide ongoing support and mentoring services to the program participants as well as the transition period from subsidized wages to unsubsidized wages; and

(2) $300,000 each year is for the nursing assistant plus program to serve the increased need for growth of medical talent pipelines through expansion of the existing program and development of in-house training.

The amounts specified in clauses (1) and (2) may also be used to enhance employment programming for youth and young adults, ages 14 to 24, to introduce them to work culture, develop essential work readiness skills, and make career plans through paid internship experiences and work readiness training.

(aa) $1,500,000 each year from the workforce development fund is for a grant to Ujamaa Place to assist primarily African American men with job training, employment preparation, internships, education, vocational housing, and organizational capacity building. This is a onetime appropriation.

(bb) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL) for worker center programming that supports primarily low-income, migrant, and Latinx workers with career planning, workforce training and education, workers' rights advocacy, health resources and navigation, and wealth creation resources. This is a onetime appropriation.

(cc) $2,000,000 each year is for a grant to Propel Nonprofits to provide capacity-building grants and related technical assistance to small, culturally specific organizations that primarily serve historically underserved cultural communities. Propel Nonprofits may only award grants to nonprofit organizations that have an annual organizational budget of less than $1,000,000. These grants may be used for:

(1) organizational infrastructure improvements, including developing database management systems and financial systems, or other administrative needs that increase the organization's ability to access new funding sources;

(2) organizational workforce development, including hiring culturally competent staff, training and skills development, and other methods of increasing staff capacity; or

(3) creating or expanding partnerships with existing organizations that have specialized expertise in order to increase capacity of the grantee organization to improve services to the community.

Of this amount, up to five percent may be used by Propel Nonprofits for administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(dd) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota and its partners. The grant must be used to continue the FATHER Project in Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the surrounding areas to assist fathers in overcoming barriers that prevent fathers from supporting their children economically and emotionally, including with community re-entry following confinement. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ee) $250,000 the first year is for a grant to the ProStart and Hospitality Tourism Management Program for a well-established, proven, and successful education program that helps young people advance careers in the hospitality industry and addresses critical long-term workforce shortages in that industry.

(ff) $450,000 each year is for grants to Minnesota Diversified Industries to provide inclusive employment opportunities and services for people with disabilities. This is a onetime appropriation.

(gg) $1,000,000 the first year is for a grant to Minnesota Diversified Industries to assist individuals with disabilities through the unified work model by offering virtual and in-person career skills classes augmented with virtual reality tools. Minnesota Diversified Industries shall submit a report on the number and demographics of individuals served, hours of career skills programming delivered, outreach to employers, and recommendations for future career skills delivery methods to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over labor and workforce development policy and finance by January 15, 2026. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2025.

(hh) $1,264,000 each year is for a grant to Summit Academy OIC to expand employment placement, GED preparation and administration, and STEM programming in the Twin Cities, Saint Cloud, and Bemidji. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ii) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Minnesota Independence College and Community to provide employment preparation, job placement, job retention, and service coordination services to adults with autism and learning differences. This is a onetime appropriation.

(jj) $1,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000 the second year are for a clean economy equitable workforce grant program. Money must be used for grants to support partnership development, planning, and implementation of workforce readiness programs aimed at workers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Programs must include workforce training, career development, workers' rights training, employment placement, and culturally appropriate job readiness and must prepare workers for careers in the high-demand fields of construction, clean energy, and energy efficiency. Grants must be given to nonprofit organizations that serve historically disenfranchised communities, including new Americans, with preference for organizations that are new providers of workforce programming or which have partnership agreements with registered apprenticeship programs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(kk) $350,000 the first year and $25,000 the second year are for a grant to the University of Minnesota Tourism Center for the creation and operation of an online hospitality training program in partnership with Explore Minnesota Tourism. This training program must be made available at no cost to Minnesota residents in an effort to address critical workforce shortages in the hospitality and tourism industries and assist in career development. The base for this appropriation is $25,000 in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter for ongoing system maintenance, management, and content updates.

(ll) $3,000,000 the first year is for competitive grants to support high school robotics teams and prepare youth for careers in STEM fields. Of this amount, $2,000,000 is for creating internships for high school students to work at private companies in STEM fields, including the payment of student stipends. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2028.

(mm) $750,000 each year is for grants to the nonprofit Sanneh Foundation to fund out-of-school new text begin new text end summer programs focused on mentoring and behavioral, social, and emotional learning interventions and enrichment activities directed toward low-income students of color. This is a onetime appropriation and available until June 30, deleted text begin 2026deleted text end new text begin new text end .

(nn) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to the Hmong American Partnership to expand job training and placement programs primarily serving the Southeast Asian community. This is a onetime appropriation.

(oo) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) to address employment, economic, and technology access disparities for low-income unemployed or underemployed individuals. Grant money must support short-term certifications and transferable skills in high-demand fields, workforce readiness, customized financial capability, and employment supports. At least 50 percent of this amount must be used for programming targeted at greater Minnesota. This is a onetime appropriation.

(pp) $300,000 each year is for a grant to All Square. The grant must be used to support the operations of All Square's Fellowship and Prison to Law Pipeline programs which operate in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding correctional facilities to assist incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Minnesotans in overcoming employment barriers that prevent economic and emotional freedom. This is a onetime appropriation.

(qq) $1,000,000 each year is for a grant to the Redemption Project to provide employment services to adults leaving incarceration, including recruiting, educating, training, and retaining employment mentors and partners. This is a onetime appropriation.

(rr) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Greater Twin Cities United Way to make grants to partner organizations to provide workforce training using the career pathways model that helps students gain work experience, earn experience in high-demand fields, and transition into family-sustaining careers. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ss) $3,000,000 each year is for a grant to Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County. This is a onetime appropriation. Of this amount:

(1) $1,500,000 each year is for grants to 21 Days of Peace for social equity building and community engagement activities; and

(2) $1,500,000 each year is for grants to A Mother's Love for community outreach, empowerment training, and employment and career exploration services.

(tt) $750,000 each year is for a grant to Mind the G.A.P.P. (Gaining Assistance to Prosperity Program) to improve the quality of life of unemployed and underemployed individuals by improving their employment outcomes and developing individual earnings potential. This is a onetime appropriation. Any unencumbered balance remaining at the end of the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

(uu) $550,000 each year is for a grant to the International Institute of Minnesota. Grant money must be used for workforce training for new Americans in industries in need of a trained workforce. This is a onetime appropriation.

(vv) $400,000 each year from the workforce development fund is for a grant to Hired to expand their career pathway job training and placement program that connects lower-skilled job seekers to entry-level and gateway jobs in high-growth sectors. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ww) $500,000 each year is for a grant to the American Indian Opportunities and Industrialization Center for workforce development programming, including reducing academic disparities for American Indian students and adults. This is a onetime appropriation.

(xx) $500,000 each year from the workforce development fund is for a grant to the Hmong Chamber of Commerce to train ethnically Southeast Asian business owners and operators in better business practices. Of this amount, up to $5,000 may be used for administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(yy) $275,000 each year is for a grant to Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Area 8 and Workforce Development, Inc., to provide career planning, career pathway training and education, wraparound support services, and job skills advancement in high-demand careers to individuals with barriers to employment in Steele County, and to help families build secure pathways out of poverty and address worker shortages in the Owatonna and Steele County area, as well as supporting Employer Outreach Services that provide solutions to workforce challenges and direct connections to workforce programming. Money may be used for program expenses, including but not limited to hiring instructors and navigators; space rental; and supportive services to help participants attend classes, including assistance with course fees, child care, transportation, and safe and stable housing. Up to five percent of grant money may be used for Workforce Development, Inc.'s administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.

(zz) $589,000 the first year and $588,000 the second year are for grants to the Black Women's Wealth Alliance to provide low-income individuals with job skills training, career counseling, and job placement assistance. This is a onetime appropriation.

(aaa) $250,000 each year is for a grant to Abijahs on the Backside to provide equine experiential mental health therapy to first responders suffering from job-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. For purposes of this paragraph, a "first responder" is a peace officer as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (c); a full-time firefighter as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 299N.03, subdivision 5; or a volunteer firefighter as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 299N.03, subdivision 7.

Abijahs on the Backside must report to the commissioner of employment and economic development and the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over employment and economic development policy and finance on the equine experiential mental health therapy provided to first responders under this paragraph. The report must include an overview of the program's budget, a detailed explanation of program expenditures, the number of first responders served by the program, and a list and explanation of the services provided to and benefits received by program participants. An initial report is due by January 15, 2024, and a final report is due by January 15, 2026. This is a onetime appropriation.

(bbb) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Ramsey County to provide job training and workforce development for underserved communities. Grant money may be subgranted to Milestone Community Development for the Milestone Tech program. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ccc) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Ramsey County for a technology training pathway program focused on intergenerational community tech work for residents who are at least 18 years old and no more than 24 years old and deleted text begin who live in a census tract that has a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as reported in the most recently completed decennial census published by the United States Bureau of the Censusdeleted text end new text begin new text end . Grant money may be used for program administration, training, training stipends, wages, and support services. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ddd) $200,000 each year is for a grant to Project Restore Minnesota for the Social Kitchen project, a pathway program for careers in the culinary arts. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.

(eee) $100,000 each year is for grants to the Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation for Carts to Careers, a statewide initiative to promote careers, conduct outreach, provide job skills training, and award scholarships for students pursuing careers in the food industry. This is a onetime appropriation.

(fff) $1,200,000 each year is for a grant to Twin Cities R!SE. Of this amount, $700,000 each year is for performance grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.8747, to Twin Cities R!SE to provide training to individuals facing barriers to employment; and $500,000 each year is to increase the capacity of the Empowerment Institute through employer partnerships across Minnesota and expansion of the youth personal empowerment curriculum. This is a onetime appropriation and available until June 30, 2026.

(ggg) $750,000 each year is for a grant to Bridges to Healthcare to provide career education, wraparound support services, and job skills training in high-demand health care fields to low-income parents, nonnative speakers of English, and other hard-to-train individuals, helping families build secure pathways out of poverty while also addressing worker shortages in one of Minnesota's most innovative industries. Grants may be used for program expenses, including but not limited to hiring instructors and navigators; space rental; and supportive services to help participants attend classes, including assistance with course fees, child care, transportation, and safe and stable housing. In addition, up to five percent of grant money may be used for Bridges to Healthcare's administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(hhh) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities to provide disadvantaged youth ages 12 to 21 with job-seeking skills, connections to job training and education opportunities, and mentorship while exploring careers. The grant shall serve youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters in the Twin Cities, central Minnesota, and southern Minnesota. This is a onetime appropriation.

(iii) $3,000,000 each year is for a grant to Youthprise to provide economic development services designed to enhance long-term economic self-sufficiency in communities with concentrated African populations statewide. Of these amounts, 50 percent is for subgrants to Ka Joog and 50 percent is for competitive subgrants to community organizations. This is a onetime appropriation.

(jjj) $350,000 each year is for a grant to the YWCA Minneapolis to provide training to eligible individuals, including job skills training, career counseling, and job placement assistance necessary to secure a child development associate credential and to have a career path in early education. This is a onetime appropriation.

(kkk) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Emerge Community Development to support and reinforce critical workforce training at the Emerge Career and Technical Center, Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center, and Emerge Second Chance programs in the city of Minneapolis. This is a onetime appropriation.

(lll) $425,000 each year is for a grant to Better Futures Minnesota to provide job skills training to individuals who have been released from incarceration for a felony-level offense and are no more than 12 months from the date of release. This is a onetime appropriation.

Better Futures Minnesota shall annually report to the commissioner on how the money was spent and what results were achieved. The report must include, at a minimum, information and data about the number of participants; participant homelessness, employment, recidivism, and child support compliance; and job skills training provided to program participants.

(mmm) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Pillsbury United Communities to provide job training and workforce development services for underserved communities. This is a onetime appropriation.

(nnn) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Project for Pride in Living for job training and workforce development services for underserved communities. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ooo) $300,000 each year is for a grant to YMCA of the North to provide career exploration, job training, and workforce development services for underserved youth and young adults. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ppp) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Al Maa'uun, formerly the North at Work program, for a strategic intervention program designed to target and connect program participants to meaningful, sustainable living wage employment. This is a onetime appropriation.

(qqq) $500,000 each year is for a grant to CAIRO to provide workforce development services in health care, technology, and transportation (CDL) industries. This is a onetime appropriation.

(rrr) $500,000 each year is for a grant to the Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization for providing services to relieve economic disparities in the African immigrant community through workforce recruitment, development, job creation, assistance of smaller organizations to increase capacity, and outreach. Of this amount, up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the program. This is a onetime appropriation.

(sss) $270,000 each year is for a grant to the Stairstep Foundation for community-based workforce development efforts. This is a onetime appropriation.

(ttt) $400,000 each year is for a grant to Building Strong Communities, Inc, for a statewide apprenticeship readiness program to prepare women, BIPOC community members, and veterans to enter the building and construction trades. This is a onetime appropriation.

(uuu) $150,000 each year is for prevailing wage staff under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.871, subdivision 2.

(vvv) $250,000 each year is for the purpose of awarding a grant to Minnesota Community of African People with Disabilities (MNCAPD), Roots Connect, and Fortune Relief and Youth Empowerment Organization (FRAYEO). This is a onetime appropriation. MNCAPD, Roots Connect, and FRAYEO must use grant proceeds to provide funding for workforce development activities for at-risk youth from low-income families and unengaged young adults experiencing disabilities, including:

(1) job readiness training for at-risk youth, including resume building, interview skills, and job search strategies;

(2) on-the-job training opportunities with local businesses;

(3) support services such as transportation assistance and child care to help youth attend job training programs; and

(4) mentorship and networking opportunities to connect youth with professionals in the youth's desired fields.

(www)(1) $250,000 each year is for a grant to Greater Rochester Advocates for Universities and Colleges (GRAUC), a collaborative organization representing health care, business, workforce development, and higher education institutions, for expenses relating to starting up a state-of-the-art simulation center for training health care workers in southeast Minnesota. Once established, this center must be self-sustaining through user fees. Eligible expenses include leasing costs, developing and providing training, and operational costs. This is a onetime appropriation.

(2) By January 15, 2025, GRAUC must submit a report, including an independent financial audit of the use of grant money, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over higher education and economic development. This report must include details on the training provided at the simulation center, including the names of all organizations that use the center for training, the number of individuals each organization trained, and the type of training provided.

(xxx)(1) $350,000 each year is for a grant to the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers for a pilot program supporting black undergraduate students pursuing admission to law school. This is a onetime appropriation.

(2) The program must:

(i) enroll an initial cohort of ten to 20 black Minnesota resident students attending a baccalaureate degree-granting postsecondary institution in Minnesota full time;

(ii) support each of the program's students with an academic scholarship in the amount of $4,000 per academic year;

(iii) organize events and programming, including but not limited to one-on-one mentoring, to familiarize enrolled students with law school and legal careers; and

(iv) provide the program's students free test preparation materials, academic support, and registration for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) examination.

(3) The Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers may use grant funds under clause (1) for costs related to:

(i) student scholarships;

(ii) academic events and programming, including food and transportation costs for students;

(iii) LSAT preparation materials, courses, and registrations; and

(iv) hiring staff for the program.

(4) By January 30, 2024, and again by January 30, 2025, the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers must submit a report to the commissioner and to the chairs and ranking minority members of legislative committees with jurisdiction over workforce development finance and policy and higher education finance and policy. The report must include an accurate and detailed account of the pilot program, its outcomes, and its revenues and expenses, including the use of all state funds appropriated in clause (1).

(yyy) $2,000,000 the first year is for a grant to the Power of People Leadership Institute (POPLI) to expand pre- and post-release personal development and leadership training and community reintegration services, to reduce recidivism, and increase access to employment. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2025.

(zzz) $500,000 the first year is to the Legislative Coordinating Commission for the Working Group on Youth Interventions. This is a onetime appropriation.